Healleaf Elf
Healleaf Elves '(in Elven, ''aes sídhe, literally the '''Clan of the Hollow Hills), are an ancient clan of Elves that live in Cartham. Most Healleaf live in Marbury Fields. The Healleaf are often referred to as "the Good Neighbors", "the Fair Folk", or simply "the Folk". History Emergence of the Healleaf The earliest recorded ancestors of the Healleaf Elves were found living in the valley of the Blackhelm River, north of the fledgling Cartham City. By Year 4, the Healleaf Elves had spread eastward and founded a village known as Floraidh. Many Elves followed them eastward, and most of their villages around the Blackhelm were left abandoned. Notably, the village of Dunbelly lasted for several centuries before being abandoned. First Elven War During the First Elven War, the Healleaf fought against the Ambersight and Warthorn Elves. Following the war, the Healleaf were the first to swear nominal allegiance to the Human Royal Fischbach family, only being required to recognize their lordship, speed their messengers, and keep the bridges and roads in repair. The Healleaf retained their own "royal family", who in reality were simply vassals to the Carthian royal family. Because the Healleaf led entirely peaceful, uneventful lives, the Queen was seen as something more of a formality. Her duties included overseeing the post and the Confessors; she was also obliged to preside over banquets. War of the Serpent Era of Peace The Great War By the Great War, the Healleaf's numbers dwindled to barely over a few thousand in comparison to the more substantial numbers of their Elven brethren. Culture & Characteristics Faith In addition to the Goddess, who is worshiped as the All-Mother, the Healleaf Elves worship several lesser deities. Among them are Talm, the god of agriculture; Toir, the god of thunder; Adharc, the horned god; Capalla, the goddess of fertility; Ghrian, the sun god; Cogadha, the goddess of war; Athair, the All-Father; and Saibhir, the god of wealth. Gender roles Healleaf culture is matriarchal in structure. Aging Like their Elven brethren, the Healleaf can live anywhere between 500-700 years, and in some rare cases, up to 900 years. The Healleaf recognize maturity at the age of thirty-three years. Government Warfare Though the Healleaf are peaceful by nature and usually shun fighting, they are capable of war. The Healleaf are known to be excellent marksmen, and are gifted with bows, slings, and even throwing stones. They are also adept with long and swort shords. In battle, they wear their gleaming Elven chain mail beneath cloaks "woven of the essence of the woods", which allows them to move silently through the woods, strike quickly, and then retreat. Although they may befriend wild animals and occasionally use them as transport, they rarely use mounts because horses and the like are too unwieldy in the forest. Only on long-distance journeys or on the plains will Healleaf Elves use mounts. The militia of the Healleaf is known as the Healleaf-in-arms. Languages Most Healleaf are fluent in both Elven and Carthian. When they speak, they tend to soften their vowels and harden their consonants. When speaking, sometimes the final sounds in words are eliminated entirely. They tend to be very rhotic. They speak quickly and clearly, and repeat verbs in response to yes or no questions. They also use the after perfect construction of their sentences in order to denote recency. Naming The Healleaf bastard surname is Burrows. * Popular male names: Dorian, Goodwill, Halfred, Pepin, Robin, Rudolph, Theodwin, Thierry, Tobold * Popular female names: Althea, Athalia, Fallon, Gisela, Madelgarde, Margaery, Megga, Peony, Saffron * Common surnames: Goodwort, Whitbottom, Brandybuck, Noakes, Bilberry, Diggle, Button, Leafwalker Technology Cuisine The Healleaf enjoy simple foods, such as bread, meat, potatoes, and cheese, and also like to drink ale, often in inns. They are also known to have a particular fondness for cakes. Additionally, the Healleaf consider mushrooms to be a delicacy of sorts, and venture in large groups into the forests surrounding their villages in search of them in the fall months. Customs Healleaf Elves specialize in White Magic and working with plants and herbs as a result of their loving and nurturing nature. The Healleaf value patience, hard work, loyalty and fair play and are the most inclusive Clan of Elves. They are known to be hard-working, friendly, loyal, honest and rather impartial. They are not as competitive as the other races, and are rather modest in their achievements. The Healleaf are very inclusive and enjoy entertaining visitors and helping others when they can. Having lived in the forests since the dawn of time, the Healleaf have keen senses and intuition, and can move stealthily through their forest homes. They have a reputation for being less talented in magic and other areas than other Elves. The Healleaf are often considered to be pushovers and easily taken advantage of because of their innate kindness and lack of hesitance when helping others. They have produced the least amount of Dark Mages out of all the races because of their innate goodness, though there have still been some extreme examples of Healleaf Dark Mages. Healleaf Elves know the value of friendship and alliance with the other good races of the world. Healleaf Elves live in a constant relationship with nature, never taking more than they need and giving back ever more. They replenish the forests and the plains constantly, ensuring that there will always be nature within their world. As such, they are often regarded by other races as the highest epitome of goodness. Although those who prefer law over freedom do not always agree, they nearly always have respect for the quality of Elven life. There is no doubt that the Healleaf Elves lead a fine life: freedom, nature, and the sheer vitality of being alive comprise the daily existence of a Healleaf Elf. These Elves have few cares or worries, and their lives are often characterized by idyllic splendor. While they face problems from predatory Trolls or the encroachment of Humans, they seem to live free of cares that so often plague other Elves. Because they live so closely in harmony with nature, they have little trouble finding sustenance in the areas near their homes. Game proliferates around Healleaf communities, and the earth is fertile for them. However, should they roam afield, they often discover a different matter entirely. A band of Healleaf Elves on the march must sometimes rely upon the generosity of others. The Healleaf enjoy farming, food, ales, parties, and the giving and receiving of presents. They are usually friendly and happy-go-lucky, although they are often shy. The Healleaf prefer quiet, peaceful lives. They also tend toward ignorance and know little of the happenings in the greater world. The Healleaf as a whole love gardening and herblore. Some Healleaf live in burrow-like homes, found in hillsides, downs, and banks. However, only the rich and poor of the Healleaf call burrows their homes; middle-class Healleaf usually live in large, low buildings. Almost all of their buildings have round doors and windows, and are built out of raw natural materials. Wealthier Healleaf villages have a few buildings of traditional Elven construction. On their birthdays, the Healleaf give away gifts rather than receiving them. The objects given away as gifts are usually old and regifted several times over. Physical appearance The Healleaf do not have exceptional physical qualities, and are rather Humanlike in appearance. Their coloring tends to be earthy, their hair ranging from a light or dark brown to blond and, rarely, golden red. Their hair is almost always curly. Blue eyes are an extreme rarity. Their faces are described as round and happy. Their clothes are usually fashioned out of natural materials, such as leaves, flowers, and wood, or are traditional Elven dress. Since they rely on hunting and woodsmanship, they often wear cloaks of green for camouflage in the forests. They are most often symbolized by a leaf and the colors yellow, green and brown. Notables Leadership House Healleaf * Year 4-Year 51: Athalia * Year 51-770: Margaery * 770-present: Meira Fernbrake Noble houses * Barley * Fernbrake * Hawkeye * Merryman * Roundtree * Thalrad Factions and allies * Dryads * Pixies Known Healleaf Elves Main page: Known Healleaf Elves * Mirabelle Long * Sita Wander * Oeka Young * Parman Young * Meira Fernbrake * Althea Thalrad * Tiarshus Fernbrake * Talila Fernbrake * Fenian Fernbrake * Mariona Fernbrake * Aubron Fernbrake * Tylar Thalrad * Twyla Thalrad Trivia * The Healleaf were heavily inspired by the aos sí of Irish legend and the Hobbits of Middle Earth. Category:Healleaf Elves